ANU Food Science Sensory Evaluation Experiment: Participant Recruitment

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The Sensory Evaluation Laboratory of the Australian National University (ANU) Food Science program is currently recruiting participants for sensory evaluation experiments from staff, students and residents of the Canberra community. The laboratory, housed within the ANU College of Health and Medicine, runs approximately 40 to 60 sensory tests each year covering food flavour, texture, aroma and consumer preference. According to the ANU Annual Research Activity Report published in 2023, sensory evaluation experiments are a teaching component of two core courses in the Food Science program — ‘Food Sensory Science’ (FOOD6503) and ‘Advanced Food Processing’ (FOOD6504) — while also supporting several food innovation projects funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC). For students aged 18 to 30, taking part in these experiments offers not only cash payment ($15 to $30 per session) but also direct exposure to cutting-edge research methods in the food industry and research participation experience worth putting on a CV.

Experiment Types and Test Content

Sensory evaluation experiments fall into three main categories: Discrimination Tests, Descriptive Analysis and Consumer Preference Tests. Discrimination tests ask participants to identify differences between two samples — for example, threshold judgements on sweetness or acidity — with each session lasting about 20 minutes. Descriptive analysis requires trained panelists to score attributes such as aroma, mouthfeel and aftertaste on quantitative scales, and usually involves 3 to 5 consecutive sessions. Consumer preference tests are the most common: participants simply rate samples as ‘like/dislike’ or on a 1-9 hedonic scale, in sessions of about 15 minutes. All tests are conducted in the dedicated sensory evaluation booths of the Food Science Building (Building 141) on the Acton campus, which feature independent lighting and ventilation systems and meet the requirements of the Australian standard AS 2542.1.1-2014 for sensory testing environments.

Sample Safety and Allergen Management

All food samples used in experiments are prepared in-house by the ANU Food Science laboratory or developed jointly with commercial partners, and contain no undeclared allergens. Before each experiment, participants must sign an informed consent form and complete a screening questionnaire covering 18 allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, gluten, eggs, soy, sesame, celery, mustard, lupin, molluscs, fish, crustaceans, sulphur dioxide and sulphites (at concentrations ≥10 mg/kg), milk, eggs and cereals. In line with the ANU Work Health and Safety Policy (OHS Policy, 2022 revision), anyone who self-reports an allergy to any ingredient in the test samples is immediately excluded, with their participation eligibility retained for later, safe experiments.

Participant Eligibility and Recruitment Process

Basic eligibility requirements are: aged 18 or over, no known food allergies (or no conflict between your allergens and the test samples), and no smoking, mouthwash use or gum chewing in the 24 hours before the experiment. Some studies targeting specific populations (such as the ‘low-sugar yoghurt consumer preference study’) may additionally require participants to consume that product type at least once a week. Recruitment notices are circulated through the ANU official mailing list (Sensory-Panel@anu.edu.au) and campus bulletin boards, with an enrolment window of usually 2 weeks per experiment. Applicants fill in a short online form (Google Forms) with basic information including age range, gender, smoking habits and food restrictions, and the laboratory notifies successful applicants by email within 3 business days.

Experiment Times and Location

Experiments are typically held Monday to Friday between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm, with 6 to 12 participants per session. The ANU Sensory Evaluation Laboratory (Building 141, Room G11) sits in the centre of campus, a 5-minute walk from the ‘ANU Acton Campus’ stop on the Canberra Light Rail. Participants should arrive at the reception area 5 minutes before their scheduled time; arriving more than 10 minutes late means losing that session, though you can rebook. The laboratory provides free drinking water and unsalted crackers as palate cleansers.

Payment and Tax Information

At the end of each experiment, participants are paid in cash on the spot, with amounts ranging from $15 to $30 depending on the session’s length and complexity. A single session never pays more than $30. If annual cumulative earnings exceed $300, the ANU finance office issues participants a ‘non-employment income’ tax statement (PAYG Payment Summary – Non-Employment) in accordance with Australian Taxation Office (ATO) rules. Participants do not need to lodge anything themselves, but must provide their Tax File Number (TFN) for the laboratory’s records. For international students, non-employment income does not count towards the student visa working-hours limit (40 hours per fortnight), because this activity does not constitute an ‘employment relationship’.

Payment Method

Cash is handed out by the laboratory administrator immediately after the experiment, and participants must sign a receipt to confirm. The laboratory does not offer bank transfer or electronic payment options. Participants who miss two sessions in a row without cancelling at least 24 hours in advance will have their participation suspended for 60 days, during which they cannot earn any payment.

Research Ethics and Data Privacy

All sensory evaluation experiments have been approved by the ANU Human Research Ethics Committee (ANU HREC) under approval numbers 2023/456 to 2023/478. Participants’ personal identifying information is kept completely separate from sensory data: names, contact details and allergen screening results are stored in an encrypted ANU OneDrive folder accessible only to laboratory administrators, while sensory ratings are recorded under anonymous ID numbers and analysed using those numbers only. Under the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018 edition), data are retained for 7 years after the experiment and then destroyed. Participants may withdraw at any stage without giving a reason, and anonymised data already collected may still be used in statistical analysis.

How to Sign Up and Find Available Experiments

The sign-up portal is the ANU Sensory Evaluation Laboratory’s official page (sensory.anu.edu.au), which lists currently recruiting experiments in real time, including experiment name, duration, payment amount, allergen warnings and enrolment deadlines. Participants can book a time slot directly from the page without registering an account. The laboratory sends a monthly email newsletter summarising the next month’s experiment schedule; to subscribe, send an email to sensory-panel-subscribe@anu.edu.au. For participants who do not use English, the laboratory provides a Chinese version of the informed consent form and allergen screening questionnaire, although test instructions are still given verbally in English.

Frequently Asked Questions and Contact Channels

If you have questions about the experiments or procedures, email sensory-panel@anu.edu.au and the laboratory usually replies within one business day. In an emergency (such as an allergic reaction during an experiment), call ANU campus security on (02) 6125 2249; the laboratory keeps an adrenaline auto-injector (EpiPen) and a first-aid kit on hand.

FAQ

Q1: Will participating in sensory evaluation experiments affect my student visa?

No. ANU sensory evaluation experiments count as research participation, not employment. Under condition 8105 of Australia’s student visa regulations (Department of Home Affairs, 2024), research participation payments do not count towards the 40-hour-per-fortnight work limit. When annual cumulative earnings stay below $300, there is also nothing to declare to the Department of Home Affairs.

Q2: Can I taste more than 10 samples in a single experiment?

Yes, but the laboratory designs sessions around sensory fatigue management. A single session presents at most 12 samples, with rests of at least 60 seconds between samples. If more than 8 samples are involved, the session is split into two phases with a 10-minute break in between. Under ISO 8589:2007, total tasting time per session does not exceed 40 minutes.

Q3: If I feel unwell during an experiment, can I leave immediately and still get paid?

Yes. Participants can withdraw at any stage without giving a reason and still receive the full payment. Laboratory staff will immediately provide water, unsalted crackers and medical assistance. If you withdraw for health reasons, that session’s data are deleted and excluded from the analysis.

References

  • Australian National University. 2023. Annual Research Activity Report 2022–2023.
  • Australian Research Council. 2022. ARC Discovery Projects Scheme – Food Innovation Stream.
  • Standards Australia. 2014. AS 2542.1.1-2014: Sensory Analysis – General Guidance for the Design of Test Rooms.
  • Australian Taxation Office. 2024. PAYG Payment Summary – Non-Employment Income Guidelines.
  • UNILINK Education. 2024. ANU Campus Resource Database – Student Research Participation.